The models include some of the company’s most popular and in the UK that means the Rav 4, Yaris, Hilux and the Urban Cruiser – some going back as far as 2004.

The recall, one of the biggest in motoring history, comes after five types of safety hazard were found in a variety of cars across the globe – three in the UK.

Greig said: “One of the big problems with this recall is that we’re looking at some fairly elderly vehicles. When it comes to new cars, most people will respond to a call and get the problem sorted.

“But several years later, and three or four owners down the line, the numbers go down and in years to come people buying a second-hand Toyota will not know if all those recalls have been done or if they are buying a dangerous vehicle.

“The DVLA should be recording if these recalls have been sorted for future owners.”

The faults include replacing spiral cables, which could stop airbags from deploying in the Rav 4 and Hilux manufactured between June 2004 and December 2010. In the UK that covers 24,785 vehicles. Repair work will take about an hour.

In the Yaris and Urban Cruiser, Toyota have found that a spring that locks the driver’s seat, and the front passenger seat in three-door cars, could break and allow the seat to move in the event of a crash.

The vehicles affected were built between January 2005 and August 2010 and include 10,339 in the UK. Work to fix it takes between 40 and 90 minutes depending on the model.

The company are also poised to strengthen or repair a weld on a steering wheel bracket, which could break causing the steering wheel to dangerously tilt out of position.

This problem may affect Urban Cruisers built between September 2005 and February 2009, as well as second generation Yaris models.

Work will take between 180 minutes and 270 minutes to complete. All jobs will be done free of charge.